The Church of Saint Francis

The Church of Saint Francis

The Porto audio-guided tour presents you with the Church of Saint Francis, one of the most impressive examples of Baroque architecture in Portugal, renowned for its gilding.

The most ornate church in Portugal

Its façade combines Romanesque and Gothic architecture, the fruit of a construction spread from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century. But it is the interior that dazzles: at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the three naves were entirely clad with gilded woodwork, for which it is estimated that more than three hundred kilos of gold powder were necessary, which makes it the most ornate church in Portugal. This gold came from Brazil, a Portuguese colony whose region of Minas Gerais provided large quantities of precious metals, brought to the old continent. This splendour thus recalls, in the background, the history of the Portuguese colonial empire.

What there is to see

The Church of Saint Francis invites contemplation before its dazzling gilded woodwork, which makes it one of the most sumptuous in the country. Its Romano-Gothic façade and its Baroque interior testify to centuries of history and the wealth that came from Brazil. It is an essential masterpiece, to be discovered in the Ribeira district.

Practical information

The Church of Saint Francis is in the Ribeira district, in Porto. A place of worship and visit, it is discovered with respect for the place, according to hours to be checked on site; access is generally subject to a charge.

Why is the Church of Saint Francis so gilded?

Its woodwork was covered with more than three hundred kilos of gold powder in the eighteenth century, thanks to the gold that came from Brazil.

What is the particularity of the Church of Saint Francis?

It is reputed to be the most ornate church in Portugal, by the abundance of its interior gilding.